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Many children will have to see their parents separate or divorce and it’s not always easy.

Whether you are 7 or 17, hearing the news of your parents’ separation can be a sad, stressful time. It could mean you have lost the home you grew up in, or your home is missing somebody who was always there. You may have to move schools, leave friends behind and in some cases, you may even be caught in the crossfire.

For anyone, these changes can be difficult to cope and come to terms with. You may feel sad and angry, guilty and abandoned. You’re not alone in feeling this way and you’re not to blame. Sometimes, things just don’t work out – but it’s important to talk about how you feel.

Express how you feel

If you’re able, talk to friends about how you are feeling. Maybe they have gone through a similar experience and can offer understanding, or they can remind you how great you are, and that they care about you, no matter what is going on at home. Sometimes a friend just needs to know you’re going through a bad time,...

Following the news that Angelina Jolie has filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, citing ‘irreconcilable differences’, we wanted to explore what this term really means.

It seems that every time a celebrity marriage ends with a divorce announcement, the term “irreconcilable differences” is splashed across tabloids and celebrity magazines. But what are irreconcilable differences and what are grounds for divorce?

The Office for National Statistics estimates that 42% of marriages will end in divorce. The most common reason for divorce is for “unreasonable behaviour” – one of the five ‘facts’ for grounds for divorce. The other facts are:

On approach to Anti-Bullying Week in November, we explore ways you can tackle bullying and how to support a friend in need.

To learn more about our own experiences, we sent a survey round the office. The survey explores bullying, asking if you have experienced bullying yourself, where it took place, in what form of bullying and if you sought help.

The results

The results showed that 67% of the Counselling Directory team have experienced bullying at some point in their lives. 100% of those said that the bullying was in verbal form, though physical and online were also mentioned. 92% said that the bullying took place during school and college.

When asked if they sought support for the bullying, 54% said no. The remaining 46% said that the support they received was from family and friends.

Affected by bullying? Whether you are a counsellor, the victim or someone who has been affected by bullying, get involved and take part in our full

Tonight a BBC documentary will be looking at the inner workings of National Family Mediation services.

Across the UK there is a network of National Family Mediation (NFM) services. Their aim is to mediate separated couples who are struggling to resolve legal disputes. The hope is that with the mediator’s help, they can avoid the courtroom.

BBC2 will be giving us an inside look into these mediations to see how these services work tonight at 9:00pm in ‘Mr v Mrs: Call the mediator’. Something this documentary is sure to reveal is that separation and divorce are incredibly tough on all involved.

So far in 2016 the term ‘relationship issues’ has been searched for on the Counselling Directory 57,681 times, always featuring highly in our most searched for term list.

According to a study conducted by the Mental Health Foundation, 46% of British people regret not investing as much time as they should into relationships.

The report, which was released in conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Week, also discovered that men are more likely to feel regret compared with women.

Although building strong relationships can have a positive effect on our mental health and well-being, many of us are falling short when making connections.

50% of men surveyed said that they expressed remorse about missing out on relationships, compared with 42% of women.

The Mental Health Foundation are championing the idea of asking friends and family members how they are really feeling, so that people who are affected by mental health problems know they have someone they can talk to.

Maintaining healthy relationships

The report highlighted that 38% of respondents chose maintaining healthy relationships as ‘most important’ to their well-being. Whereas eating healthily only figured in...

We look at how connecting digitally can stop you connecting in real life.

A study carried out by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business has revealed that the urge to check your social media pages is among the strongest temptation in modern society, including sex.

Both acts are driven by a desire to connect. Our need to feel connected is considered by some as the number one predictor of happiness, health and well-being.

Trying to connect digitally however can be counterproductive. Here are some examples of how updating your status can be detrimental to your real life relationships.

You lose the moment

Social media has become an easy way for us to share moments. While this is wonderful, if you spend the entire moment focusing on documenting it, refining it and uploading it online, you can easily lose it. Instead of enjoying the moment for what it is, you may become overly attached to positive reinforcement through likes and comments.

We explore ways you can support your partner when they're suffering from depression.

Relationships all have their ups and downs, requiring communication and effort to flourish. When one partner is suffering from depression, the relationship may need extra consideration to survive.

If you are in a relationship with someone who has depression, it can be hard to know how to help. Below we look at some ways you can provide support.

Create a safe, healing environment

When someone has depression, it helps if they have a safe space to communicate within the relationship. Allow your partner to verbalise anything and everything they are thinking/feeling and try to distance yourself from the need to react. Keep the bigger picture in mind – communicating emotions can be especially difficult when dealing with depression, so your partner needs to feel able to do so without fear of judgement.

Use soothing language

Communicating with someone when they have depression can be difficult. Your partner may feel...

Research suggests humans are hard-wired to overcome heartbreak and move on.

‘Broken heart syndrome’ is a real condition, characterised by rapid and severe heart muscle weakness (also known as cardiomyopathy).

It is typically associated with intense emotional or physical stress, which can be triggered by sudden shocks. One such shock can be the end of a relationship.

The breakdown of a relationship can be extremely distressing, but according to new research, we all have an innate ability to overcome heartbreak and find new love.

A group of researchers from Saint Louis University, U.S. recently reviewed several studies to explore the science of break-ups and how we move on.

They examined the process of breaking up and falling out of love (which they coined ‘primary mate ejection’) and compared it to the process of moving on and developing a new romantic relationship (‘secondary mate ejection’).

The findings suggest both environmental and genetic factors play a crucial role in a...

We discuss ways to use the principles of mindfulness to nurture your relationship.

The idea behind mindfulness is that by focusing on the present moment, we can reduce stress, see opportunity and enjoy everyday pleasures. As well as being a useful tool for combatting stress, depression and anxiety, mindfulness can also be utilised in other areas of our lives – including relationships.

Life moves at a dizzying pace, and it can be hard to find the time to stand still with your partner. This can lead us to work on autopilot and, over time, this can take it’s toll on a relationship.

Take a look at the following pointers on how to be more mindful in your relationship.

Focus on one sense

When you are spending time with your partner, try to hone in on the present moment by focusing on one sense. If you’re out for dinner, you may want to focus on the taste of your food. If you’re sitting together on the sofa, focus on your sense of...

Keep reading for some tips to remain supremely happy this festive season when you're not in a relationship.

Christmas can bring with it a range of emotions, including loneliness – and for those of us without a significant other, this can be especially true. At a time of year meant to be celebrated with the ones we love, it can be easy to feel unhappy if we’re single.

The myth that one has to be in a loving relationship in order to be happy needs to be dispelled. Remember, being single is not a flaw and only you have the power to make yourself happy.

Below we look at some ways you can remain happy over the Christmas period:

Experience healthy and safe touch

Touch is a vital need for humans, making us feel happy and calm. When we’re not in a relationship, this can be overlooked. Try to make it a priority by taking part in activities that promote non-sexualised touch such as partner dancing, massage therapy and hugs from friends/family.